SC rejects plea against early leave for Muslims during Ramzan

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to hear a petition challenging the decisions of the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments to allow Muslim employees to leave offices an hour early during the holy month of Ramzan.

The court directed the petitioner to approach the respective high courts with the grievance.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar refused to entertain the plea, which contested the circulars issued by both state governments. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the petitioner, urged the court to examine the matter, but the bench remained firm in its stance.

"Please go to the high court," the bench stated, making it clear that it would not intervene.



Following this, Sankaranarayanan withdrew the petition, seeking liberty to move the respective high courts under Article 226 of the Constitution.

"Counsel for the petitioner seeks permission to withdraw the present petition with liberty to approach the respective high courts under Article 226 of the Constitution," the bench recorded in its order, granting the petitioner the liberty to take up the issue at the high court level.

The Telangana government had issued a circular permitting Muslim employees to leave work an hour early during Ramzan. Similarly, the TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh allowed all Muslim employees in the state to leave offices an hour early from 2 March to 30 March during the holy month.